Barrette.



A. K. COLLINS.

BARRETTE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1' 7, 1913. v

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

LULLMBIA PLANOGRAPN 10., WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

ALBERT K. COLLINS, 0F LANCASTER, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BELLE J. NANCE, OF LANCASTER, SOUTH CAROLINA.

BARRETTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 17, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT K. COLLINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of South Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Barrettes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hair fastenings and particularly to fastenings known in the art as barrettes; and it has for its object the provision of a device of this character which will include an ornamental portion which is elastic longitudinally and provided with a pin element which may be readily connected with or disconnected from a keeper of the elastic portion when the latter is flexed in its main length.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hair fastener which, owing to its inherent elasticity, will effectually operate to hold the retaining pin in locked condition when the device is associated with the hair.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which will be constructed with a view to eliminating undue strain upon the pin portion when the latter is in a secured position in the hair.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device; Fig. 2

v is a similar view thereof, looking into the pin portion and the keeper from the rear of the device, and illustrating in dotted lines the flexed condition of the main body of the device to efiect a release of the pin from the keeper or the association of the same therewith; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the device, showing the pin operatively associated with the keeper.

The device comprises a main body member which may be constructed of tortoise shell, celluloid, metal or any other material having such inherent elasticity that will permit the opposite ends of the body to be pressed relatively of each other for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. The body is curved longitudinally in its main length and as illustrated it is provided with a fixed inner plate 2 having hinged knuckles 3, which are directed angularly from the plane of the adjacent surfaces of the body portion 1 and associated with a portion 4 of a retaining pin 5 through the medium of a pivot pm 6. The body portion is provided on its inner face with a fixed keeper 7 having retaining portions 8, which are spaced relatively and extended at an angle from the adjacent surfaces of the body portion and toward the adjacent end of said body, as per Fig. 3. The locking pin 5 is gradually reduced to a point 9 and then enlarged and provided with a substantially arrow head 10, the restricted portion 9 being adapted for insertion in the intervening slot 11 between the retaining portions 8 of the keeper, while the outwardly diverging surfaces 12 of the head 10 are adapted to en age hehind said retaining portions 8 and tfiereby hold the pin properly associated with the body portion and fixed in the hair of the user. From this construction, it is evident that under the inherent elasticity of the main body portion 1, the opposite ends thereof may be compressed relatively by the fingers of the head so as to permit of removal of the efiective retaining portions 8 of the keeper from the surfaces 12 of the locking head 10. In this manner, the pin may be inserted through the hair of the wearer and disposed relatively of the keeper 7 whereby when the body portion is flexed manually the head can be quickly associated with or disconnected from said keeper. The construction is found to possess material strength and the connections between the body portion and the pin are Such as to eliminate any strain on the pin and thereby prevent the same from being accidentally broken from the body portion while in use.

From the foreging description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is A hair fastener comprising an elastic body member curved longitudinally throughout its length, a fixed keeper secured to the back of the member adjacent to one end 110 thereof and provided With retaining portions disposed approximately at an acute angle to the back of the body member, the said retaining portions being spaced relatively so as to define an intervening slot therebetween, a pin pivoted at one of its ends to the opposite end of the body memher and at the back thereof, and a head formed on the free end of the member and having relatively diverging sides operable to engage against the retaining portion of said plate and adapted to be drawn into the inner end of the slot between the retaining portions under the inherent elasticity of the body member and owing to the inclination of said retaining portion of the plate When the free end of the pin is initially engaged with the keeper, the said pin having a reduced portion Whose sides merge directly into said diverging surface, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ALBERT K. CULLINS.

WVitnesses WV. E. PALMER, E. HUME TANNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

